Blog

Where’s the gospel in the Old Testament? Carl Trueman talks about STAND 2015

In less than a month’s time, we will have the privilege of having Carl Trueman serve as keynote speaker during the 2015 Stand for the Gospel conferences. We’re praying for God to make us freshly aware of His grace and goodness through Jesus Chris as we look forward to rich times of prayer, preaching, singing and fellowship with men and women from across the country.

Carl will be bringing us messages from Judges, 1 and 2 Kings, as well as a Q&A session. We asked him to share a bit more about his life, and what he’ll be speaking about in the main sessions.

1. Briefly share with us how you became a Christian.

I heard Billy Graham preach in England in 1984. Then I started reading books by JI Packer and, at some point in the next three years, became a Christian.

2. Why do you think what you’re teaching on is an important topic?

Most of the Bible is Old Testament, and most of the best known stories in the Bible are Old Testament stories. But Christians often do not know quite what to do with them. Are the heroes great examples of how we should behave? Do they simply reveal human failings? Or is there something more?

3. What do you hope will be filling people’s minds and hearts as they walk away from your messages?

The unity of God’s plan for salvation in history, as revealed in the Old Testament, fulfilled in Christ, and now applied to our hearts today by the Holy Spirit.

4. Is there any passage of Scripture that sums up what you’ll be sharing?

Luke 24:25-27:

“And [Jesus] said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.”

5. Can you expand on one point that you’ll be making in your message(s)?

Humanity has not changed over the years, and God’s basic ways of dealing with fallen sinful humanity has not changed either. This means that we can — indeed we must — read the Bible as a whole in order to understand the full richness of the gospel.

6. How has what you’re going to speak on affected your own life?

Hard to tell. I think the impact of reading the Bible in a more and more informed way is profound but also has an impact incrementally over a long period of time. So I would say that, over the thirty years of my Christian life, this has undoubtedly had a deep effect, though it is difficult to quantify.

7. Can you recommend any books, articles, websites, or materials on this topic?